The history of the Tour of the Alps tells us that it was created in 1962 and is run between Italy and Austria. Initially, it was called the Tour del Trentino, after the border region that divides the two countries. The race was suspended for 14 years between 1964 and 1978.
For many riders and teams, it is considered the final test before the Giro d’Italia, and its history includes some of the biggest stars in world cycling, such as Francesco Moser, Maurizio Fondriest, Claudio Corti, Damiano Cunego, Cadel Evans, Vincenzo Nibali, Simon Yates, and Michel Landa, among others.
Cycling from this side of the world has been represented since 1991, with the victory of Venezuelan Leonardo Sierra under the direction of Gianni Savio (RIP). He then finished third two years later. Meanwhile, Colombian cyclists have Nelson Rodríguez in third place in the 1996 edition and Miguel Ángel López in the same position in 2018.
For the race that begins today, Monday, in Innsbruck and will end on April 24, the organizers have proposed a 760-kilometer route with 14,620 meters of elevation gain, where the mountainous terrain will be decisive for the battle waged by great champions such as defending champion Michel Storer, facing rivals of the caliber of Thomas Pidcock, Giulio Pellizzari, Ben O’Connor, Derek Gee, among others on the list of 176 registered riders.
Colombian cycling boasts the presence of the great champion Egan Bernal, who returns to the season after some physical problems following the National Road Championships. His return comes after meticulous preparation, both for this race and for the Giro d’Italia, which he won in 2021.
Also representing Colombian cycling alongside the rider from Zipquirá are two young talents making their way in the competitive world of cycling: Juan Felipe Rodriguez (EF Education – EasyPost) and Martín Santiago Herreño (Bardiani CSF 7 Saber).
The first stage takes place this Monday over 141 kilometers and includes two categorized climbs, one category 3 and one category 2.
Source: Revista Mundo Ciclístico